Woolies bought out in Leicester

Published: 22 June, 2006

Page 1

Woolworths is pulling out of a major city for good - because of an offer it "could not refuse."

The 25,893 sq ft, two-storey store in Leicester's Haymarket shopping centre was one of the largest shops in the city centre. The company says it has no plans whatsoever to re-locate to another part of the city.

A Woolworths spokesman said: "The performance of the store was not bad, and it was doing well. But we were offered a deal by the landlord that we could not refuse."

ING Britannica - which bought the Haymarket Centre two years ago - refused to say what deal was offered or reveal what will happen to the store.